Happy Independence Day

The Fourth of July is “Independence Day,” where Americans honor the birthday of the United States. It’s a day of picnics and patriotic parades, a night of concerts and fireworks, and a reason to fly the American flag. People tend to forget the great battle between Britain and what would become “The United States of America.”Victory was declared on July 4, 1776 and Fourth of July was born; the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed.
Let us consider a few landmark events that have impacted the freedom of America: July 1, 1773 – William Newton wrote the song AMAZING GRACE; Newton was a former slave ship captain. July 4, 1776 – America became an independent nation. In 1807, after a long battle led by abolitionists William Penn and Wilbur Wilberforce, slave trade was outlawed in Europe. 1861 – Beginning of America’s Revolutionary War; The War Between the States. January 1, 1863 – President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. 1865 – The War Between the States Ends. June 19, 1865 – Texas celebrates the first Juneteenth; African American holiday to celebrate end of slavery. 1955 – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. joins ranks with Mrs. Rosa Parks to lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott. December 21, 1956 – Montgomery buses are integrated. July 2, 1964 – Passage of Civil Rights Act outlawing eugenics based discrimination against blacks and women. January 20, 2009 – Mr. Barack Obama, a man with brown skin becomes President of the United States. May 2011 – Herman Cain, a U. S. businessman with brown skin enters the race for President of the United States, defying the political status quo that has existed for over two centuries.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that “there comes a time when people get tired of being trampled by oppression… It is time that we stopped our blithe lip service to the guarantees of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. These fine sentiments are embodied in the Declaration of Independence, but that document was always a declaration of intent rather than of reality. There were slaves when the Declaration of Independence was written; there were still slaves in America on July 4, 1776; and to this day, Black Americans have not life, liberty, nor the privilege of pursuing happiness, and millions of poor white Americans are in economic bondage that is scarcely less oppressive. Americans who genuinely treasure our national ideals, who know they are still illusive dreams for all too many should welcome the stirring of Negro demands. They are shattering the complacency that allowed a multitude of social evils to accumulate. Negro agitation is requiring America to reexamine it’s comforting myths and may yet catalyze the drastic reforms that will save us from social catastrophe. When millions of people have been cheated for centuries, restitution is a costly process. Inferior education, poor housing, unemployment, inadequate health care-each is a bitter component of the oppression that has been our heritage… Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. Every step toward the goal of justice requires a sacrifice, suffering and struggle… This is a time for vigorous and positive action.”
Brothers and sisters, Dr. King was right. This is a time for vigorous and positive action. We as a people, members of the one human race have true freedom in our reach. We can get there through fervent prayer, sincere faith in God, and love and forgiveness. America has problems, the economy is suffering, there are natural and unnatural disasters, the politicians are like the kings of ancient Bible days; they worship idols and serve themselves while pretending to care about those they are sworn to protect. (Ps.1)
We are at a time in history where Christians can cry out to God in repentance and experience a revival like the world has never known. Today, I believe Dr. King would finish the speech this way:
“Christian Americans who genuinely treasure our national ideals, who know they are still illusive dreams for all too many, should welcome the stirring of The Holy Spirit and make prayerful demands. Prayers are shattering the complacency that allowed a multitude of social evils to accumulate. Fervent prayer is requiring America to reexamine it’s comforting myths and may yet catalyze the drastic reforms that will save us from social catastrophe. When millions of people have been cheated for centuries, restitution is a costly process. Inferior education, poor housing, unemployment, inadequate health care-each is a bitter component of the oppression that has been our heritage… Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. Every step toward the goal of justice requires a sacrifice of prayer; a commitment to faith; and the strength to love and forgive… This is a time for vigorous and positive prayer.” So let’s end today by saying that we a people who were once oppressed are now free in Jesus Christ. We whom the Son has set free are free indeed. We are at a great moment in history.
Our prayers can bring the freedom that American has been seeking for so long. Luke 4:18 NIV “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed”. Jesus Christ

This entry was posted
on Saturday, July 2nd, 2011 at 6:25 PM and is filed under Freedom.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Happy Independence Day”

Leave a Comment

Currently you have JavaScript disabled. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page.Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser.